Volkswagen ID Era 9X is a huge, seven-seat range-extender EV

Despite the growing availability of smaller electric vehicles globally, many manufacturers continue to prioritise and invest significantly in the development of larger car models.

Few cars come bigger than the new Volkswagen ID. Era 9X: a new, seven-seat SUV which has China’s growing car market in its sights. 

The ID Era 9X comes from a joint venture between the German car giant and SAIC, China’s state-owned manufacturer, which itself possesses other brands like MG and Maxus. 

At 5,207 mm (205 inches) long, 1,997 mm (78.6 inches) wide, and 1,810 mm (71.2 inches) high, the ID Era X is actually bigger than the BMW X7. It’s certainly big enough to compete in the luxury large SUV segment. 

While many large new cars are moving to a full-electric powertrain, the ID Era 9X is interestingly different. It uses a range-extender powertrain, combining a petrol engine and a large battery. The engine is used as a generator to charge the battery. 

All versions of the ID Era 9X use a turbocharged, 1.5-litre petrol engine with 149bhp. The entry-level car adds a 51.1kWh battery with 267km (166 miles) of range available. Power is sent to a single, rear-mounted electric motor, which produces 295bhp. 

The mid-range car uses the same motor, but with a larger 65.2kWh battery. As a result, it gets a range of 340km (211 miles). 

The range-topping car gets the same large battery but gains a second electric motor. Power is ramped up to 510bhp, while electric range drops to 321km (199 miles). It’s also the heaviest version, weighing 2700kg (5952 lbs).  

Volkswagen hasn’t revealed the full, combined range figures yet, but we’d expect all versions of the car to easily cover over 1000km (621 miles) when using both the battery and the engine. 

Despite its impressive figures, likely, much of the world won’t see the ID Era 9X on their roads. It's currently only due to go on sale in China. 

We’re also anticipating a public unveiling at the 2026 Beijing motor show, which takes place at the end of April and into May. 

However, that doesn’t mean cars with their technology won’t make it into other markets. It has been reported that Volkswagen is thinking about bringing range-extender electric cars to both Europe and the United States.